Nobody Panic - Still Panicking: How to Get a Manicure

Episode Date: September 29, 2025

Still Panicking: Why not carve out a bit of you time, as this week, we look back on Tessa and Stevie's best self-care How Tos.Oooooh look at these fancy people with their fancy manicures! Oh la de dah! Stevie and Tessa have got into manicures. Sure, this episode gets off to a rocky start when they spend the first twenty minutes Googling 'what is Shellac?' but then they really get into their stride and this one's actually quite informative.This episode was first released on 23 May 2023.Recorded and edited by Aniya Das for Plosive. for Plosive.Photos by Marco Vittur, jingle by David Dobson.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/nobodypanic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello, I'm Carriad. I'm Sarah. And we are the Weirdo's Book Club podcast. We are doing a very special live show as part of the London Podcast Festival. The date is Thursday, 11th of September. The time is 7pm and our special guest is the brilliant Alan Davies. Tickets from kingsplace.com. Single ladies, it's coming to London.

True on Saturday, the 13th of September. At the London Podcast Festival. The rumours are true. Saturday the 13th of September. At King's Place. Oh, that sounds like a date to me, Harriet. to Stevie's nails. Oh, thank you.

I'd love to. Is it Walkins or do I need an appointment or... Yeah. Which one? And that's why I need this episode myself. We're doing how to get a manicure. But I wanted to do this because you're... You've started getting gel manicures recently.

That's right. Haven't you? Yes. And I've been doing it for like a few years. And I got my first... I've started doing acrylics now. And I was like, hang on, this is a thing. We should just...

Absolutely we should discuss. Mine are, I'm having a, don't even look at them. So I got into Shalak one birthday ago when I received, and I don't know why they're called Shalak and gel. I don't either. And what's acrylic? You know, I don't know. I feel like, Shalac's the brand. Shalak is the brand. And what's a acrylic? That's the vibe. Oh no, acrylic's completely different. Acrylic is like essentially where they, you know, you see people with really long nails and it's not their actual nail, it's fake nail. False nails on top of your nail. Is an acrylic. Yes. And a gel. is a type of... Or Shalak is a type of job.

I'm glad we're doing this episode. I have too. Yeah. Wait, go on. Let's have a little learn. Should we get an expert in? No. No.

No, we've got Google. So gel nails is often... You know, like Hoover as the brand, but we refer to vacuum cleaners as hoopers. Yeah. Gel nails is the generic term for your nails done under a UV lamp. So people basically just use it as like the umbrella term. And Shalak is a brand of gel nails by a company called Creative Nails.

by a company called Creative Nail Design, CND. So CND Shalak, which you often see at nail places. That is Shalak, which is a brand of gel nail polish. Gorgeous. So I have become a recent Shalak convert. I got a voucher for my birthday. And I was very much like, no, take this gift away. Why?

Talk me through it. Very afraid. Okay. I was convinced when people talked about Shalak and they called it permanent, I was like, I can't, I can't. I don't want a permanent thing on my nails. What if I pick the wrong colour? What if I hate it?

I got it into my head that it was like, I don't know how long I thought it would last, but I think they thought they were like acrylics and you had to like have them professionally taken off. And like... The removal was always something that I was very frightened of as well. So I thought they were like a huge deal and I could never. And I remember in Edinburgh once, like on the first day,

going with Katie Churchill to get... And she said, I'm going to get shellac. And I remember watching her the whole time. And they were bright blue. And I was like, just muttering to myself being like, what did she do? what is she doing? They're permanent.

Whereas now I understand they just last slightly longer. Yeah, it's just like better nail varnish. It's just better net. Yeah. Well, it's actually if I think, because sometimes you get just a normal regular nail varnish done

and you're like, ooh, and then one day later you're like, oh, you know, or like one's a bit. Whereas with Shalak, you got easy a couple of weeks and I could do maybe a month and I can come up on two months if I'm.

I can't. About 10 days to do. two weeks, one of them chips and I get them read on. But do you leave them? So I found a nail varnish at home that is extremely similar. So I just cover up the bits. And obviously it's also growing out. So, you know, I'm, I do look, I look like what it is, which is your shellac's grind right out. And now they're just sort of dangling on the end of your nails. Yeah. But, you know, I've got a lot, I myself. It's fun. Steam is high. And my self-respect is low. And that's what you need. Yeah. So yeah, no, I don't.

I just get them changed when I fancy. Right. Before we get in deep, let's do our adult thing. What's your adult thing this week? I've been regularly injecting my tortoise. Gosh. Haven't we all? Yeah, just for fun.

We wanted to get high together. Do update us on the doctor. Tell us how Dr. Alison Parker is doing. Yes, I've been wanting to know this for a while on the podcast because I know she's very integral to a lot of branding now because I'm through her tote bags. Increasingly. Dr. Allison Parker.

They're putting a turtle on things. A tortoise. Tortoise. Thank you. Terms them of the sea, tortoises of the land. Dr. Parker is not very well, and it's not been very well for about three, four months. And we don't know what's wrong with her. Let me tell you as head of branding, I am anxious.

Yes. It's not great. It's not great for the company optics. So she's not well. We still don't actually know if when she's recovered from the surgery, which was just to look at what was wrong, because you can't look inside a tortoise very easily. So they try all these different tests through a bottom. through her legs all the way.

And so she's been poked and prod and poked and poked and prodded. And then they were like, we're going to have to do the big one, which is where they cut a bit of her shell and go in. The upshot is that she's done very well the whole time. It's very bright and seems fine. But the downside is that when she recovers, she might just have the same symptoms again because we still don't know why it happened.

So we have to wait to see if it just happens again. If it does, it's a neurological problem, and then we may have to put it to sleep. Which is very sad. In the meantime, the amount of medications I have to administer to this tortoise every night while she recovers is what is the hands down the most stressful thing I've ever done. She's got a little feeding tube through her neck and I have to administer like four different

medications with different, very slightly different amounts. So she's very not well and so that is my adult thing because yes, I've cried the whole time but I also have done it as somebody, as my partner said, I was like, I'm sorry I keep crying every time I do the injections. because it's just so small and she doesn't like it. And he was like, yeah, but you've done it. Yeah, you've cried, but then you've actually administered the injunction. You haven't just been like, I can't do it and run away. So, yeah, that was the, that is my adult thing. That's so much. Well done you. Thanks. Huge. A little leg. Anyway, right. We send out, we really send

our love. Please do. Right. Well, let's pop our nails. I forgot what we were doing. Nails. Yeah. Pops our nails in. Okay. So yeah, I've now since our birthday shall act. Like I've really, when I got over my fear and I was like, fine, I'm going to do it. I was like, oh, this is fantastic and lasts for ages and feels nicer. And I love to have one thing about myself that it looks put together. Absolutely. It's really, really nice. And a lot of people compliment me on them.

Not at the moment. I'm having to hide my two middle fingers. There lies the issue, isn't it? Because when you start doing something fun like that, you're like, this is amazing. And then the reality kicks, then you're like, oh, it does chip after a bit. And now it's never amazing as the first time. And now my baseline is that my nails are done. And if my nails aren't done, I'm like, oh, gross.

Whereas before I didn't really think about it. That's the all to the downside. It's still a nice thing to do, though. And it's just that now my bar is higher for how I feel. So now I'm like, well, if my nails are done, great. But then now four years in, I'm like, that's, if my nails are done, yes, expected. So now it's acrylics. Now I've moved on to acrylics.

Now I've not got my acrylics on. But also think just like how everything in your life has just gently and slightly improved in quality. A hundred percent, yes. There's so many things. I was a bin rat like 10 years ago. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, you would just lie down on the floor

and be like, that's the bed, you know? Yeah, I would. Yeah. So everything is just about gentle, incremental improvements. And I think if you just put yourself at being like, I'm someone with who has nice nails now. And it's a monthly investment or a two, every fortnight investment. And I think you have to do, do believe you have to quite enjoy the experience of going.

Yes. Because if you hate that, then don't do it. Don't do it. Yeah. Because I do know that I don't particularly love the removal. Oh, I don't mind the removal. Okay. Why don't want the removal? Let's guess what I don't like.

Is it the removal? Yeah. What part of it? Oh, I can't say it. The bit where the Emery board the top to make it rough before they get, before they soak it, the emory board on the top is so dry. I have to look away and think of other things. I'm like, oh, it's so dry.

That's all like a thing. Okay, so my thing was also emory board base, but later on. So then I'm like, when's that then? What am I imagining? What's your memory board bit? There was like a, there's an emory board bit later on in the filing section. Mm-hmm. I'm thinking of filing.

No, no, yeah, that's fine. The filing. The normal memory part, I don't care for that really. But not because it's dry. It's like, I was getting me. It's hard to describe. It's hard to describe. We're worried about it, but it is like,

yeah. The flat on the nailbell is because I'm just like, it's just too much surface area of sand, you know? Yeah. When it's on the edge, I'm okay, because the edge of the nail, it's really touching a little edge. But sometimes they don't stay on the edge.

They get a bit of your head. I'm making a bit of your hands. Or the cuticle bit. I thought I wouldn't like the cuticle of it where they cut your cuticles. It has a look away because I keep looking back and being like,

that should hurt but it doesn't. You know, and they're like, cut them out. That should hurt but it doesn't. But that's fine.

They're not cutting your cuticles off. They're cutting the little bit of skin. Yes, I'm just saying for people who are like, what is she doing? Yeah. What is they're going to?

Who's happening at Stevie's salon because it doesn't feel legal. Yeah, there is a lot, there is a bit, quite a bit of squirm. There is a squirm factor. There is a square factor. You just mentioned legal,

which I just really should pop in here and say, so there's a lot of human trafficking. Sure, why not? Within the nail industry. And look, we're not qualified to talk about in a very sort of knowledgeable sense. But I do feel confident to say, you know when it's one of the nail places

that's not a good one. Because you go, God, that cheap. and also the vibe is off. It's possibly cash only. Also, people can do cash only when it's not trafficking. Then it's just laundering. Then it's a clash of a bit of laundering.

And look, in a way, who are we? Who isn't laundering? Who isn't laundering? We're a laundering. But you shouldn't be traffic. We draw the line. This podcast is pro laundering and anti-trafficer. We've just like to be very clear on that.

I want to be too clear about that. Yeah, I've been to ones near friends. I've been like, oh, you just come to the one near my. I've gone and been like, okay, this is clearly one of the bad ones. And it's obviously not like really obvious. In fact, they're all going like, oh, this is bad. You just, I don't have to describe it to you. Nobody's blinking and whispering to you, I'm being trafficked.

But it is just a general energy of being like, this doesn't. This is sort of bare minimum. It's too cheap. The vibe is almost like production line. There's not been any added fun little extras where you're like, this feels like a nice place to work. Yes. And everyone's stowing at your nails.

and no one's talking to each other and you're in and you're out. I'd question that as a concept. But it's tricky because obviously when you go to somewhere that's like nice and it can be very, very expensive, especially in like cities and stuff. There's some that are like, it's like 50 quid to get a gel. That's ridiculous. But like if it's between like 30 and 40 pounds,

and that's probably just, and it feels nice, that's probably just like a cheaper nail salon rather than, but yeah. I think the other thing about being like, yeah, but it's cheap. It's like, right, but it's huge. Human trafficking. Yeah. It's like, whatever your line is about being like, right, I can't afford the nice place. It's like, well, don't, then it's no nails for you.

Then you can't afford it. Yeah. There's like, that's fine. But, yeah, we've all got to sort of make our stand about being like, and here's a thing I'll try not to. Do. And I think contributing to human trafficking is probably one. It's probably one. Probably one.

Probably one of them. Yeah. Yes. Yes. A place that doesn't, you don't leave going, well, that's probably a bit dodged. Don't go. Yeah. Go somewhere lovely.

It's all fine. Oh, yeah. I go to a fine one that's like absolutely fine, but the woman, it's like a family run thing. The woman that runs it is very chatty and fun and nice, and it's a nice place. But it's not really fancy because I used to go to this one where it's all like, you know, you can get Prosecco and coffee and stuff.

And it's great, but it's so expensive. It was like 60 quid every time I went. This is actually sort of ridiculous. Was the nails notably better? No. They chipped the same. Did you enjoy the experience of going? I now go when it's like a birthday or something and I will do the Prosecco. Because there's no point going if you're not going to do all the extras.

Because what's the point? I'm just getting my nails and like I normally would, but there's some Prosecco that could be there. But there isn't because I've not paid for it. So it's just a bit like pointless. Whereas I like going to places that just feel nice. But yeah, for a special occasion, I'll go to like a fancy one, you know. See, lovely. For me, I like to do it.

I've learned now that you cannot do your nails in the car on the way to the wedding. No. That is a mistake. Yes. It will be on your dress. It'll be on your leg. It'll be everywhere. I'd also, in this particular car, Jenny, I was also attempting to do Sally Hanson

spray legs. Oh my God, this fucking friend. You are always attempting to do a... I don't want to be white as a sea asparagus. You know, I want to be nice. I want to be a nice girl, not something that lives at the bottom of the Mariana trench. I want to be nice. Of course, but you spray that.

shit in the most inopportune moment. It's like late and I forget and I want to be nice. So being prepared, that's a big thing for me. It's like, oh, what if we went the day before to do these things? What if we got prepared? And the nice thing about the shellac is that you're like, yeah, I can do that the weeker in a week in a head as opposed to being like, they'll chip if I don't, you know. Yes.

You're like, I'm doing it. I'm prepared and it's nice to be like, I'm taking this time. I'm, you know, however much of like a sort of basic bitch feeling it is, you're like, it's nice. It is nice to feel like a little princess. Oil at the end. When they oil your cuticles. I like when they do a little hand massage.

When they put their fingers through your fingers. I've not had any of that. What? This action? Sometimes it's the only human touch I felt in Mance. That's lovely. I've put my fingers through my own fingers, anybody who can't see me.

And that's it. That's what you need. You don't need any more. That's it. And she likes it. I like, you don't have that. I don't have that. No, they just do my nails.

And then I say thank you. And then I leave. Do they do a little hand massage? No, not really. But they do the oils. Like I'm saying, I go to a fine, fine place. I think even when I've been to the fine place, there was a little bit of hand action.

I think you're instigating it. Are you going and going, go out. That's all done when I pick up their hands. I love it so much. That's really nice. I wouldn't. So I take off my watch in preparation to be like, go on, up the arm.

Wow, okay. Do the little scrub bit. Do your top of the top of? Oh, no. one's touched me in ages. Sometimes they do a little bit of a idea. It's nice. It's nice.

It's nice to be, it's nice to be, it's nice to be, it's nice to be, we're social creatures, we're social grooming creatures. We want to be groomed. Like a chimp.

We want to be groomed like a chimp. I bellow, it's scorn me off the premises. Linking your hands with everybody. Groom me like a chimp. So that's a good, so number one, human trafficking.

Number two. Groom me like a chip. Yeah. Number two, they may or may not groom you like a chimp. Different places, different, I found, I don't know if you found, different conversation expectations. Sure. Different people within the same salon, different conversation expectations.

Sometimes, and that's the thing that I get, because it's not like when you get your hair done, where you're like, well, there's stuff going on. So you chat for a bit and I'm left off from like seven hours. So you can't talk for that amount of times. It's like, get a book, whatever. But you can't really do anything with your hands. So I'd say let them lead And then you'll know very quickly

If they're not really a talker I would say take the conversation need from them But they've probably taken the lead from you Already And so if you've come in as I often have Crying wet You know Very arraggled

Desperate for touch You know I'm very tired Close my You know And they're like how are you You can't close your eyes Oh sometimes

Oh my gosh And they've been like How are you And I'm like oh dreadful and then I just close my eyes. You know, like there I was like, yeah, listen, leave a, leave a, let come on, let's just, let's just tidy them up. Yes.

There's a fear I had before going in that I, because I was frightened of doing, I didn't do it for ages. It's weird that frightened thing. I have floated thing that the first time I went to a gym. I'd like, I'd never been to a gym and I was really tense about going into a gym. Not even to like do a class. I just was like, well, what if I don't, my thing, like, what if I don't know what if I don't know what to do?

And I look silly. And so my thing with the nails was like, what if I don't know when to put my hand in the right bit or what and they obviously just guide your hand there or say okay can just let's swap hands yeah yeah but like and as somebody who regularly puts their hand in the wrong place all the time the worst that can happen is they say take your hand out there yeah and you go yeah that's a crime yeah they'll be like no that way whatever and maybe they're never going to laugh at you and if they do like all right somebody laughed like i'd be really surprised if someone actually laughed i don't what you're doing with your hands okay great so my sister no i'm never doing anything weird but my sister

So my poor sister similarly was like, had her hands done, but she was, she thinks she's got very short, very wide feet, which she does. And she calls them her Jimmy Chodes. A chode, if you're unfamiliar, it's penis. That is wider than it is long. Which is fine. Oh, it's fine. Hard to accommodate, but fine.

And was Jimmy Choo, a popular fashion house designer. You've got everything you need there. Anyway, so she would say she didn't want a pedicure. And before her wedding, I said, we're going to get a bridal pedicure. We're going to this nice place. It has all pink flowers and bits and, you know, let's be fancy ladies. So we had one side by side. And the lady, English was not her first language.

And she looked at my sister's feet and she went at the base of her feet and she went, wow. It was honestly like, I could not stop life. It's like my sister's like an actual like night and anxiety nightmare. Yes, it's happening. She looked at the basement. She said, we don't know what it was. We couldn't bring ourselves to ask.

And she'll think about that for the rest of her life. She'll think about what that woman saw. Wow. Wow. Wow. And we didn't, neither have asked what the wow was. I just, yeah, we should have done. I couldn't stop laughing.

But like, even then it's like, all right, she said, wow. Yeah, it's not the worst thing in the world. It's not the worst thing in the world. And it was just so funny that I was like, of course they're not going to say that, Amy. Of course. They're not going to say wow. Why would they say wow? Wow.

Wow. Literally they said it. It was like she had been telling me all these fears. And like I was like, those are not fears. they don't happen in the real world. And I was just watching them be like, wow, they do happen. I can't believe it. Yeah.

I think she said her nightmare was they would look at her little short feet and be so surprised. They were like, we can't deal with, we can't work with these feet. And that did seem what the woman was saying wow about. Anyway, but even if they say wow, you can say, what are you saying wow about? And then they'll be like, these are short and you'd be like, yeah, no. You know, like, it's all right. And the anxiety around color and what you're going to go. for is... Terrible.

It happened to me. I chose the wrong colour once. I lived it. I lived it. And I chose like a blue and it was like, I just don't... I didn't recognise my own hands. And now I know there's black or a variation of black or white, always, or gold sometimes. But that's it.

And I know that because I just didn't like my nails for like two weeks. Oh, no. Like, it was fine, you know? And I got the fear again when I had acrylics for the first. Have you ever had acrylics or seen some of the cookies? It is the most fascinating thing. They stick plastic long talons to you like this. Then they cut it down.

Then they like file it to like a length. Then they like get this powder and create nails. And the nails solidify before your eyes. Wow. And then they paint the gel. Wow. And they paint gel over the top. And it's brilliant.

Terrible because when you've got long nails, you've got to clean the back of it. I'd sandwich in them. like I had cake in them I'd do my face in the morning leave and be like I've just got cleanser just glogged up but I don't know how women do it really

I've actually stopped it because I've just like I can't be bought I have to carry a nail brush round with me like that's well I think it's a basic hygiene I was like yeah I'm basic hygiene Steve you just have a little clean under there but I also do think a very long nail is almost one of those things

like ancient markers of wealth you know a way of being like, all white. All white, exactly, to be like, oh, well, they're wearing white because they're never going to the fields. They never go outside. Or heels are like that as well. Because you never need to walk anywhere. It implies you've got a car.

It's a way of saying, I will be carried in a sedan chair and I don't need. And here's me. Just trying to clean my bathroom. With your enormous acrylic. I've got, like, toilet all over my nails. Honestly, by the time that they took them off, just take them off. Like, they are rancid now.

Like, I hate them. How long were they? And they were very long. You ever seen Dali Parton playing Shorten Bread on hers? No. She's doing... Oh, you can sort of hear it. You can sort of hear it, yeah.

She's playing that like a laundry board. Brilliant. And singing the one that's like, Mom's gonna find you shortening, shortening. Tip four. Tip four. You've got acrylics. You can sing Mama's gonna find you shortening and shortening.

I don't know what the song is. But I know it is a song. We've got the experts in. We start. strong by googling what is shalac. We haven't even told the people what shalak is when you get in there, which is you choose your colour after a 25 minute anxiety spiral about the colour, and then you choose the one you've had on before.

Yes, just go with the thing, go with the thing that makes you go, that'll be fine. Don't go for your first one like, oh, I'll do something wild. There's no point. Just get used to the actual colour that you like. There's a like Sunday time supplement when Kay Middleton began to rise to power. there was something that was like, Kate always nails it. It should be bright apple red for toes and ballet slipper for nails. Well, that's because ballet slipper is so nude, it looks like she's not wearing anything.

Yeah, of course, right. And so there was this whole thing that was like, and nothing else. Any deviation from bright apple red and ballet slipper. It's vulgar. It's vulgar. Yes. And get back in the gutter where you belong. And so I think weirdly, even though I was like, I'm not having ballet slipper, but weirdly, I really held on to bright apple red. Yeah, great.

They said 10 years ago that that's why I should do. Well, also as well, talking of not knowing what to ask for and kind of not knowing, I thought, if you went anywhere and you asked for anything, because it's a nail place, they'd do it. So I'd be like, can I have like a Pocod? And they'd be like, no. We don't do nail art here. Some places do nail art. Some places don't do nail art. So before you say Pocod, you have to say, do you do nail art. Yes. And also if it's a company that has like, they'll all have like an Instagram, go on their Instagram and look at all the different options. Because also as well, there's so many cool things. that my place does that I didn't even know that I would have like natural and then like just black kind of tips. It's quite cool. All that's like. But don't go on a nail company's Instagram and go to a different nail company and be like, I want that because they won't necessarily do it. I, that was my fear that I was so frightened to ask for something because I was like, well, what if they don't do it? And then someone did it. And then I went to another place. I was like, could I have that? And they were like, we don't do it. I felt so bad. Also as well, it's much more expensive to get nail art.

I'll be like, an extra five pounds per nail or something to. Like always kind of know what your nail place is capable of. Sure. So you're not got let down, you know, and sad. And get builder gel. So do you have builder gel? No. Builder gel, so I've got really weak nails.

Builder gel goes underneath and it basically just reinforces your nail so that it doesn't split because my nails just split all the time. And then once they split, then the whole thing comes off and then not my nail, but then all the colour comes off. So most places will do builder gel underneath. They might do it automatically or you might pay for more. Is it sort of white? Yeah.

It's like a natural. I think the space is automatically doing builder gel. I love that for you. Wow. Wow. Yeah, good for me. Good for you. Wow. Okay, this is very good because I just assumed everybody did nail art, but I never understood. I never seen anyone getting it. I'm always like, how are you doing that? Yeah, how are you doing? Yeah, exactly. Well, actually, in the little pot of sort of popsicles, but at the end there's the color. Is that helpful? The pot of popsicles in the area. No, no, I don't get that. Popsicles all around

in a circle. Yes. And they're showing you what your nail might look like. One of those is like a woodland scene. So that was my... my clue that they did do. Yeah, that is a big clue. That's the big clue, I suppose. A woodland scene. One of them's actually a little house with a little chimney coming up. Was it like a little snow scene?

You've got to get one nail. Oh, I don't like it. I don't like it. Okay, you don't like that. You don't like nail art. On other people, yes, but on myself, I'd be like, oh, it's in the house. I did not know what I was going to say until it came out of my mouth. You was in the house?

On my nail. I don't like it. I want anyone living there. What do you go for like, just like, for example, like snowflakes? Yes, I have had spark. I put sparkle on sometimes. And one time it was a blue and I didn't quite like it. And then like, she said from, she was like, I can see from your face.

You don't. And I was like, what if we put a little bit of gold on? And then she was like, okay. So I've got like, sometimes I have a little different color on top and maybe a snowflake. But I've never progressed to like anything. Actual art. Yeah, because also you can say you can and you feel like you can't be. You can ask them to do, so they'll do like.

the base and then maybe the builder gel if you've asked for it. And then you can say, like, I'm not quite sure, could I try those two? And they'll do one nail for you because it takes two seconds to remove it when it's not been put under the UV. Because I was like, I can't do that because obviously gel lasts for two weeks. So once he puts it on, of course, of course. So you can have a little try and then say, I'm sorry. Okay. Yeah. And I've only done that once because I was going to Venice and I got like acrylics and I wanted like, I didn't know if I wanted black with gold tips or gold with black tips. And I tried both and was like, oh, It's the black with a gold tip.

It's absolutely, oh my God, I was absolutely euphoric. And they're very happy to do that. I felt like I was really imposing until one time I was just getting my nose and a woman came in and basically was like, can I get a new set please? And also, can I try that color and that color first before we decide? And then she just like sat back and went on her phone and I was like, God, this woman is so a bit of a bitch, but also like quite, you know, quite powerful. Okay, so that's an option.

That's a thing that's available in it. It's a thing that you can do. And no one was angry. And she was nice about it. She wasn't actually a bit. She was just sort of saying, like, can I have this? and this and this, thank you. It was like, God, how dare she say what she wants?

How dare she say what she wants? Because of my inbuilt internalised misogyny. Sometimes one nail goes on, you think, I hate it. I absolutely hate it. Then you're like, well, in for one, in for ten. Yeah. In for a penny and for a bound. Yeah.

I guess that's it now for a month. But yeah, exactly right. It's not your hair. It's not, we're so used to doing that hairdressers because they've cut it off. And you have to say yes because they can't stick it back on. Yeah, whereas this, I was just right way. The thing about the Shalak is you do your base builder level, as I now know it's called. and then they put the colour on

and then it goes straight into the UV machine that normally you would wait till the end and have to sit there, you know, completely stuck like you're in the stocks because your hands are trapped in the thing. But that's happening throughout the experience. Yes. And it's certainly the first time that happened,

I'd be like, is it? Is it now? And this is coming out of here, is it? And then it was done. I was like, now where should I go and sit and wait? And they were like, no, it's dry. And I was like, what? So it's a real, it's a miracle experience.

It's a real thrill. And you can paint, if you're in doubt or you of what colours to get, you could get like a lighter colour or a white or a ballet slipper or whatever because you can paint normal nail varnish over the top of it, can you? And then remove the normal nail varnish

with normal nail varnish remit and it won't remove your gel colour. So I've done that before. So when I had the long acrylics, I went for like very natural so I could paint them black for something. And then also I was filming something and I was like, oh, okay, well, I don't want

to have nail varnish for that, but I want to have fun nail varnish for the wedding. So I like basically like, yeah, you can remove normal nail varnish on top of gel and it won't remove the gel color. Wow, wow, wow. Yeah. This is good stuff.

It's actually, it turns out there were some things that we knew rather than... And loads of things I didn't know. What is Shalak? Yeah. After that initial hurdle, what is nail? We really crested into the end. I would just say, if you are nervous about the length they're going to cut them to or not, you could always do one yourself that was already, like get one correct.

And then to like that place. And be like, I think that one's probably the right size. And then they're like, great, we'll work to that. And then they'll say, oval, round or square. and then you'll say whatever you think and that's not the answer. No. Also, if you're like, I can't imagine

what those look like, it's okay to ask. Yes. And then maybe they'll say, or minor square or minor oval or round, whatever. Yeah, and also like the one that's the most in common is a square oval, isn't it? So it's like your edges are,

your edges are rounded, but it's kind of squareish. So it's not like really oval like an acrylic, basically like yours are. I think, you're oval. I'm oval, yeah. Yeah. I'm oval.

They're very, very nice. See, I have to tap out there because I've got such bad, thin nails that I can't, I have to go as short as possible. So then it's just always as short as possible rather than shape. They can't shape them. You obviously got very hard. You need that Test Daily, Well Woman, hair and nails. Don't think I don't know that.

The quote, I like Well Woman. Yes. David Gandhi. Yes. He likes Well Man. His one is something like, certainly taking it. They've gone for the point. It's certainly a vitamin.

Certainly isn't it? They've certainly paid me. Like it's like there's nothing effusive about anything he's saying. No. Someone did say, one of my nail people did say one of my nail people. That's what I refer to people who are nailed to technicians as. She said, because I was like, oh, it's just probably because I don't eat the right things. And she's like, no, no, it can be genetic.

And my mum has really weak nails. So I was like, oh, it's not a, like, I'm not a failure, you know? And you wouldn't be regardless. I know, but they can sometimes be like, oh, you want to. that's short? And they're like, yes, because it will, it will split. And they're like, get them shorter. Get them shorter.

And they're like, oh, yeah, your nails are all very. And like, oh, it's like when you get anything done, hair or bikini wax or something, they, people are all like your sister experience. People are able to make you feel like you're weird just by one little syllable, aren't they? Just like, oh, your hair's quite weak. You're like, I've got weak hair. Like, suddenly that's it. You know, you're Stevie with the weak hair.

My friend at her first smear test, the lady went, oh gosh, did you know? She went, yes. And to this day, she doesn't know. Oh, she doesn't know. She doesn't know. We believe, after many more smear tests and people saying, you're very, you slanted, very slanted. Right. But she just went, yes.

Yeah. I think it's so vulnerable. That is so vulnerable. Because you feel so vulnerable at anyone making any sort of comment. you're like, Yeah, no, no, no. So don't let it get to you. Yeah.

Listen, is water of a duck's back. It's fun. It's a fun experience. Don't go to a sad place. Hold your nerve. Hold your nerve. Know what sort of collie you want going in.

I know that you can try a couple out if you need. Try it. Get some builder gel if you've got weak nails. And anything else? Removal's fine. The removal process is about him, Steve's saying she didn't like the emory board. If you've got slack on there,

again, I was like, well, it'll take 100 years and 100 men to remove the shellact. They just like file it a bit, which you don't care for. Then they put a very funny sort of clip on the end of your finger. So, and then you can sort of clip, clop, clop on the table. You go to a fancy space. I just get foil wrapped around it. Oh, just foil. Into the oven. In the oven. Oh, just foil around. And then it soaks. And then they kind of scrape off. Yeah, they're scrape off. Which makes me feel like my nails are like being scraped off. But they're actually not. It's actually absolutely fine. It's all fine. If you're getting like acrylics and you want to get a

removal you want to go to somewhere good because once I went to somewhere bad and they they filed, rather than soak it, they filed off the acrylic and my nail beds were like dipped in phages. They basically like fucked my nails up really badly. So make sure that you go to acrylic is a bit is truly, it's the final boss. It's a bit, it's more advanced. Acrylic is more advanced and you sort of like everyone I know who gets it done regularly is like, oh yeah, my nails are absolutely fucked but now. But you're like, oh right, okay. So if you're okay with your nails just being completely like, well, that's sort of fucked. Yeah, acrylics are a bit more like the veneers of the dental world.

Wow. That is it. Yeah. We're making, this is going to be fake and we're committed. We're committed to the fakeness. Whereas I'd say she'll act straddles

a lovely middle ground and like pop in, pop in, pop out. It's just good nail varnish, it feels. It feels like what I imagine nail varnish would be when I didn't know what nail varnish was. That's exactly right. Well, I hope that helps everybody.

I'm off to get my manicure. See you there. We don't have any space. No walkins. Wow. What a twist. Bye. No, of course, we'll put you in right now.

There we go. See you next week, everybody. Goodbye.